I know you first think of fuchsia, but I cannot seem to grow them. Does anyone know of blooming plant for a hanging basket than can take quite a bit of shade?
hanging basket for shade
Impatiens and begonias are the old standbys. Needlepoint ivy works great for greens and small ferns can fill in the rest. If you buy hardy ferns you can transfer them to your garden in the fall
The problem with impatiens and begonias (except for a few) is that they do not hang over the pot well and cover up the ugly plastic. I have seen a true hanging begonia from time to time but it's a bit rainy here for them. I think they rot even when hanging under the eaves and given limited water.
If you use the ivy, creeping jenny or lamium to trail over the edges of the pot then you can use a flowering plant that doesn't trail. That's my best idea. I don't have to worry about over watering anything here - it's the other way around. Sort of zone challenged when it comes to the southeast. You could use some bright coleus if you can't use a flowering plant.
You could use a moss pot if you don't want to have an ugly pot. They look so much better.
I recently discovered this Chenille Plant at a local nursery. I bought them in 4" pots and the fuzzy red 'blossoms' look very nice hanging over the edge of the pots. The tag instructed to grow in indirect light.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1821/
I doubt that they will reach the sizes that are in those pics. I've planted caladiums with them in the pots, and the red fuzzies compliment the red/pink in the caladium's spots nicely.
marie, Chenille plant is a very old cultivar originally called Loves Lies Bleeding. That would be fun to grow.
doss, I think your answer is my solution. I have ivy, creeping jenny and lamium, too. And a few leftover impatiens. Thanks so much.
You should post a photo when you have it together. I'd love to see it.
I have struggled with this same problem too, and this year I really like my shade baskets. They are the wrought iron/coir kind, so they still look pretty good even without too much trailing down. I planted a bronzy coleus, a tuberous begonia with peach double flowers, and some purple torenia to trail a little bit. I think the torenia would like a little more sun, but it has bloomed for me even in almost full shade locations before.
I would love to try poking holes in the coir and planting clumps of a shade loving ground cover or trailer just to see if I could get that trailing look that way. Maybe next year...
Good luck with your baskets!
I almost forgot........I love adding asparagus fern to my baskets. It does just fine in the shade and it not only look great trailing down, but they tend to lighten the arrangement.
Here is an example from last year. I can't find my pic of a hanging basket done the same way.
Nicely done with caladiums marie_
Thank you. I have almost complete shade everywhere, so caladiums give me some color. (I'm tired of impatiens.) I have other pots that looked better, but can't find the pics. I'm behind for this year, but I will do something similar. Rex Begonias also look fabulous with ferns of all kinds.
I will try to remember to post a picture. I've had too many relatives in the hospital or emergency room lately and am a walking zombie. Spent 5 hours in the ER last night.
Torenia seem to work OK for me. Also Oxalis.
Juanita
Besides, if you have coleus, who needs blooms? :0)
Some oxalis with coleus..
beautiful stuff. You folks have been a lot of help.
I dont know I still love the ever popular non stop begonia. I like the bright colors. But I also love coleoses. I always have a pot of each in my yard every summer. Your pots are very pretty, pleasuse to see them. I also have the ever popular pot of impatients all you have to do is water when needed. No pinching off the dear heads. They blossom all summer. Good luck cant wait to see your pots all done oh I like the caladiums in the pots also.
Marie ~ I love your caladiums, look great with the ferns and the dark plant, what is that?
It's some type of alocasia. (Sorry, but I can't remember the name.) Unfortunately, I was unable to bring it back to life this spring. I had other varieties that over-wintered in the attic for me...but not this one.
My elephant ears had the same unfortunate fate. I wonder if they can be over-wintered as houseplants instead?
I've dragged some into the house in the Fall to keep as houseplants, but they just gradually dwindled to almost nothing. I've had Black Magic, and the large upright EE and the 'normal' ones make it in a dormant stage. I've had success with letting them dry out right in the pot, soil and all, and then storing them in my attic. It's not heated, but it is insulated. I have a remote thermometer and the temps stayed mostly in the 50's all winter. This same method has worked well for my dahlias and tuberous begonias as well. I loose some, but not as many as when I try to store just the tuber/bulb. They either get too dried out or get moldy on me.
Thanks, it's been "too dried out" for me, too. Think I'll try that next time. For cannas and my Black Magic. I didn't know enough to try to save my dahlias, thought it was funny they were "spuds" when I tossed the container in the compost pile. Ha ha, gardening has been a real learning experience.
Oh No! You tossed your dahlia 'spuds'! Too funny..........
I planted some impatiens in a hanging basket from the top and poked some in the sides through the fiber basket lining. I bet you could add some Creeping Jenny and ivy too.
Hope this helps.
Yvonne
I have a basket that is in sort of bright shade. Gets just a little morning sun and then decent light (as you can see, the neighbor's balcony blocks the direct sun from the south). Anyway, an angelwing begonia and Boston fern with ivy seems to be doing well for me and maybe would be fine with even more shade, though I wish the ivy were making a little more of a statement since the fern's gotten quite big...
scubadoobie (cute name) ~ a more delicate fern, such as a foxtail fern (Asperagus meyeri) might fit in your basket a little better. I love Boston ferns, but they are hogs, aren't they? LOL